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Ivy #1
Ivy's Ever After
Filled with humor and high adventure, this fractured fairy tale tells how a spirited, nonconformist princess and an undersized, nonthreatening dragon join forces to foil an evil prince's dastardly plot to destroy their kingdom.
311 pages, Hardcover
First published March 16, 2010
6 people are currently reading
1588 people want to read
About the author
Dawn Lairamore
2 books27 followersDawn Lairamore has always loved fairy tales but thinks you can only take so many sweet, proper princesses and ferocious, fire-breathing dragons. She thought it would be fun to write a fairy tale where the princess and the dragon weren't what you expected. She can't embroider or walk with a book balanced on her head, so, much like her character Ivy, she would make a pretty terrible princess. Visit her online at www.dawnbooks.com, where you can read chapters of her books Ivy's Ever After and Ivy and the Meanstalk.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
July 1, 2010
Do you like fantasy and fairytales, Esteemed Reader? You do! Well then, here’s a fun one for you. Ivy’s Ever After made me feel small and tucked snug in my bed as though some parent were reading the book to me. This was, of course, not the case. I can’t imagine Mrs. Ninja putting up with my parents coming over to tuck me in and read a story at night now. But Ivy’s Ever After is a bedtime story if I ever read one and if you have younglings about in need of a good story before night night, this is one to read. And it’s fun for adults too.
Check back on Thursday when author Dawn Lairamore will be joining us to face the 7 Questions. But today, let’s talk about her wonderful book. And it is a wonderful book filled with trolls, dragons, a princess, and all manner of other classic fairytale fun. But there’s also a lot of humor and I guarantee you’ll be cracking a smile while you read if not right out laughing. The pace is tight and young readers aren’t likely to have time to lose interest, and there are many wonderful descriptions worth rereading. I’m hoping Dawn Lairamore is a writer we’re going to be hearing more from and I’m looking forward to it.
Whew. Well, that’s enough review. Let’s talk craft. You know how agents and editors claim they only read the first page, or in some cases just the first paragraph to decide on whether or not they’re interested in acquiring a book? Well, they do, and for more on the impatience of agents check out one of my favorite agent blogs, Janet Reid’s Query Shark. Reid doesn't even represent what I write. But she writes a mean blog and I love reading it. The shark will convince you that writers have to hook agents, editors, and readers from the first page of the book if not the first sentence. This is a challenge, to be sure. Here’s how Dawn Lairamore did it:
“Ivy might have been a proper princess if her mother had lived, or her fairy godmother had seen to her upbringing instead of vanishing without a trace one winter’s night, or her father hadn’t lost his mind. But as it happened, her mother did die, her fairy godmother did vanish, and her father did lose his mind, so Ivy never really had much of a chance one way or the other.”
I reread this opening at least five times and now I’ve typed it out, which proves I can at least reproduce good writing :) This opening is awe inspiring. And it’s not just a gimmick, either. Every one of these details is important to the plot. I like to imagine Dawn Lairamore as a cougar crouched low and hiding in tall grass. The unsuspecting reader happens by, opens the first page of Ivy’s Ever After, and Rarh! Lairamore pounces and drags the reader helplessly into the grass to be sucked into the story whether they were in the mood for a fairytale or not. Even The Query Shark couldn’t swim by that opening.
The reason this opening is such a masterpiece is conflict. This book is dripping conflict. You may remember we talked conflict two weeks back in Bonnie Doerr’s Island Sting. In that case, conflict was a series of obstacles to be overcome, each more exciting than the last. There’s some of that in Ivy’s Ever After as well, but the main conflict is an ever escalating situation that puts the screws to Ivy and the reader. It’s the sort of conflict Stephen King specializes in.
The initial conflict is that at age 14, the princess of Ardendale is to be locked in a tower. That’s bad news for Ivy, princess of Arendale. But wait! The tower is guarded by a dragon. That’s worse. Ivy must stay in the tower until a prince comes to slay the dragon, after which he gains her hand in marriage and the throne of Arendale. Sucks for Ivy. But wait! The prince who comes is a power hungry jerk who is arrogant. Ivy can’t stand him and would never want to marry him. Even worse, the prince is a great hunter and he has the skills to easily do away with any dragon. Even worse than that? Once king, prince jerk face plans to have Ivy and her father killed!
By the way, I have to share this passage with you, as this is by far the most plausible and clever explanation for locking a princess in a tower I have ever read:
“You see, before the dragon slaying, it had always been a bit difficult to marry off the princesses of Arendale,” Tildy said. “Not many princes were willing to journey all the way to our far-off kingdom just to find a wife, not where there were plenty of perfectly good candidates from much larger and fancier kingdoms nearby. But the chance to slay dragons and claim their treasure was an enticement only Arendale could offer. The king knew that if there were no dragons to draw suitors, the royal family could very well die out.”
The great sage of story, Robert McKee recommends writers start with the question: “What is the worst thing that could happen to your character? How could this turn out to be the best thing?” It is a mistake for me to say that conflict drives a story as this is not entirely accurate, though it’s certainly what draws the reader in. What drives the story is the protagonist’s response to the conflict. Will Ivy rise to the challenge? How can Ivy fulfill the second part of McKee’s question? I’m not going to tell you, but her finding the way to do this is what will keep readers turning pages to the end.
And Ivy is a likeable character. She is no faint, proper princess—notice how those sort almost never star in their own fairytale? It’s because they’re boring and readers are unlikely to sympathize. But Ivy is plucky and courageous and unwilling to just wait in the tower for some prince to save her. She, minor spoiler, befriends the dragon who guards her tower and they plan to work together to stop the evil prince from slaying him. Without knowing anything else about her, don’t you find you like Ivy? It takes some doing to woo a dragon and it’s a pretty clever solution to her problem. Of course, this friendship is just the jumping off point for further conflict, but I’m not going to ruin the whole book for you.
Visit me at WWW.MIDDLEGRADENINJA.BLOGSPOT.COM to read an interview with the author, as well as other writer interviews and book reviews.
Check back on Thursday when author Dawn Lairamore will be joining us to face the 7 Questions. But today, let’s talk about her wonderful book. And it is a wonderful book filled with trolls, dragons, a princess, and all manner of other classic fairytale fun. But there’s also a lot of humor and I guarantee you’ll be cracking a smile while you read if not right out laughing. The pace is tight and young readers aren’t likely to have time to lose interest, and there are many wonderful descriptions worth rereading. I’m hoping Dawn Lairamore is a writer we’re going to be hearing more from and I’m looking forward to it.
Whew. Well, that’s enough review. Let’s talk craft. You know how agents and editors claim they only read the first page, or in some cases just the first paragraph to decide on whether or not they’re interested in acquiring a book? Well, they do, and for more on the impatience of agents check out one of my favorite agent blogs, Janet Reid’s Query Shark. Reid doesn't even represent what I write. But she writes a mean blog and I love reading it. The shark will convince you that writers have to hook agents, editors, and readers from the first page of the book if not the first sentence. This is a challenge, to be sure. Here’s how Dawn Lairamore did it:
“Ivy might have been a proper princess if her mother had lived, or her fairy godmother had seen to her upbringing instead of vanishing without a trace one winter’s night, or her father hadn’t lost his mind. But as it happened, her mother did die, her fairy godmother did vanish, and her father did lose his mind, so Ivy never really had much of a chance one way or the other.”
I reread this opening at least five times and now I’ve typed it out, which proves I can at least reproduce good writing :) This opening is awe inspiring. And it’s not just a gimmick, either. Every one of these details is important to the plot. I like to imagine Dawn Lairamore as a cougar crouched low and hiding in tall grass. The unsuspecting reader happens by, opens the first page of Ivy’s Ever After, and Rarh! Lairamore pounces and drags the reader helplessly into the grass to be sucked into the story whether they were in the mood for a fairytale or not. Even The Query Shark couldn’t swim by that opening.
The reason this opening is such a masterpiece is conflict. This book is dripping conflict. You may remember we talked conflict two weeks back in Bonnie Doerr’s Island Sting. In that case, conflict was a series of obstacles to be overcome, each more exciting than the last. There’s some of that in Ivy’s Ever After as well, but the main conflict is an ever escalating situation that puts the screws to Ivy and the reader. It’s the sort of conflict Stephen King specializes in.
The initial conflict is that at age 14, the princess of Ardendale is to be locked in a tower. That’s bad news for Ivy, princess of Arendale. But wait! The tower is guarded by a dragon. That’s worse. Ivy must stay in the tower until a prince comes to slay the dragon, after which he gains her hand in marriage and the throne of Arendale. Sucks for Ivy. But wait! The prince who comes is a power hungry jerk who is arrogant. Ivy can’t stand him and would never want to marry him. Even worse, the prince is a great hunter and he has the skills to easily do away with any dragon. Even worse than that? Once king, prince jerk face plans to have Ivy and her father killed!
By the way, I have to share this passage with you, as this is by far the most plausible and clever explanation for locking a princess in a tower I have ever read:
“You see, before the dragon slaying, it had always been a bit difficult to marry off the princesses of Arendale,” Tildy said. “Not many princes were willing to journey all the way to our far-off kingdom just to find a wife, not where there were plenty of perfectly good candidates from much larger and fancier kingdoms nearby. But the chance to slay dragons and claim their treasure was an enticement only Arendale could offer. The king knew that if there were no dragons to draw suitors, the royal family could very well die out.”
The great sage of story, Robert McKee recommends writers start with the question: “What is the worst thing that could happen to your character? How could this turn out to be the best thing?” It is a mistake for me to say that conflict drives a story as this is not entirely accurate, though it’s certainly what draws the reader in. What drives the story is the protagonist’s response to the conflict. Will Ivy rise to the challenge? How can Ivy fulfill the second part of McKee’s question? I’m not going to tell you, but her finding the way to do this is what will keep readers turning pages to the end.
And Ivy is a likeable character. She is no faint, proper princess—notice how those sort almost never star in their own fairytale? It’s because they’re boring and readers are unlikely to sympathize. But Ivy is plucky and courageous and unwilling to just wait in the tower for some prince to save her. She, minor spoiler, befriends the dragon who guards her tower and they plan to work together to stop the evil prince from slaying him. Without knowing anything else about her, don’t you find you like Ivy? It takes some doing to woo a dragon and it’s a pretty clever solution to her problem. Of course, this friendship is just the jumping off point for further conflict, but I’m not going to ruin the whole book for you.
Visit me at WWW.MIDDLEGRADENINJA.BLOGSPOT.COM to read an interview with the author, as well as other writer interviews and book reviews.
August 1, 2010
Princess Ivory has grown up in the isolated kingdom of Ardendale as the only child of an absentminded king. Per the Dragon Treaty, she is locked in a tower when she turns 14, there to languish until the nefarious prince from a neighboring land kills her dragon guard and marries her. But as Ivy has no intention of marrying this prince, she escapes from the tower with the help of the dragon (a runty and peaceful creature named Elridge) and goes off with him to discover a way to foil the prince's plan to destroy Ardendale. They have many perilous adventures and meet some intriguing characters, including a romance-prone fairy godmother named Drusilla and an adorable but hideously grumpy miniature goat named Toadstool. Their fates being intertwined, Ivy and Elridge hit it off right away, and by the end of the story they are clearly best friends forever. This is a fun and entertaining fairy-tale-based fantasy with a nice balance of character development and action. Give it to fans of Donna Jo Napoli's The Prince of the Pond (Puffin, 1994) or Diane Zahler's The Thirteenth Princess (HarperCollins, 2010).–
July 9, 2010
As a huge fan of fantasy as I am, I couldn’t wait to review this debut novel from Dawn Lairamore entitled “Ivy’s Ever After.” I received an autographed copy of the book for free through Goodreads First Reads. The story begins with Princess Ivy finding out that on her fourteenth birthday she is to be imprisoned in a tower until a prince comes to slay the dragon that is protecting her, otherwise known as “The Dragon Treaty.” The book breaks a few of the traditional “rules” of fairy-tale's yet it is these things that set this book apart from any ordinary fairytale and make this a witty, entertaining book to read. Ivy is no proper princess and Romil is both vile and treacherous. Even Elridge the dragon has no fire and is timid. Yet all of these unconventional changes lend to interesting twists and easily make this the best fantasy read that I have seen in awhile. Lairamore spared absolutely no detail and gives readers an incredible inside look at the challenges, rewards, and pressures of being a princess and living up to “The Dragon Treaty.” For anyone who enjoys reading about princesses, dragons, trolls, fairies and quests this is one for you.
January 24, 2012
nice fantasy in the vein of Dragon Slippers with a pleasant cast, a bwahaha bad guy, curses, dragons, fairy godmothers and more!
September 15, 2010
There's not much to say about this. A very sweet, quick read, good for all ages, though specifically made for ages 8-12. Pretty much a book any girl around the age I just mentioned, who that loves fantasy and fairytale-like stories, would enjoy this. It's reading level is for any age, but I don't think an adult would like it much - mainly since the language is directed to 8-12 year olds. (Like saying "good goat's fur!" instead of a curse word. Zero explicit language in this.) But it was still a very sweet tale.
For those who have problems with reading things with witchcraft: There was a seer (Felda the Farseeing) who had a few predictions that more or less came true.
Overall, an enjoyable read. Three stars.
For those who have problems with reading things with witchcraft: There was a seer (Felda the Farseeing) who had a few predictions that more or less came true.
Overall, an enjoyable read. Three stars.
December 9, 2011
For every girl who loves princess stories, a lively tale with dragons, trolls, and a fairy godmother. According to her kingdom's law, when Princess Ivy turned 14, she was locked in a tower guarded by a dragon. The prince who could succeed in slaying the dragon would marry the princess and rule the kingdom. But Princess Ivy is not your average helpless, pampered princess. She's a feisty, gutsy heroine who's not going to wait around to see who shows up to save her. An exciting adventure for ages 10-15.
December 7, 2010
Ivy's Ever After was a cute story, retelling the typical Rapunzel-esque plotline. A not so prim princess (Ivy) was supposed to be guarded in the White Tower by a ruthless dragon (who turns out to be kind and educated), but none of it really goes as planned.. Both are oddballs among their peers, and unite to save the kingdom from Prince Romil and his evil minions, encountering beasts and fairies alike. This was a fun read, light and fluffy.
September 27, 2010
I'm always up for a good unconventional princess story, but this one was utterly mediocre. Any story where the princess teams up with the dragon usually just makes me wish I was reading Patricia Wrede's Dealing with Dragons books.
February 4, 2012
This story clearly gives an example of how seemingly small people and creatures can always change to become the bravest and biggest and lovingly creatures or people. This story will make every girl or boy who think that they are small to stand up to take a stand.
February 24, 2015
Hmm, this book was ok. It started out well and got me interested right off but I just felt like something was missing in it. Maybe plot? I don't know but I didn't LOVE it although I didn't HATE it either so yah it was 'ok' yah know? Kind of boring in parts and not much of a plot.
March 5, 2019
By proclamation of the ancient Dragon Treaty, Princess Ivy of Ardendale will be locked in a tower on her fourteenth birthday and will remain there, guarded by a dragon, until a prince slays said dragon and rescues her. That’s what the treaty dictates at least, but Ivy has other plans. With the help of her nervous dragon guard, Eldridge, Ivy devises a plan to put an end to the Dragon Treaty and stop a wicked prince from pursuit of the Ardendale throne.
Dawn Lairamore’s Ivy’s Ever After plays on elements of traditional fairy stories, utilizing princesses locked in towers, dragons, fairy godmothers, magical predictions, and enchanted items. Because it centered around the trope of princesses locked in towers, I expected the story to explore the sexism of many traditional fairy tale tropes. I hoped this piece might be a bit more subversive and challenge common tropes and stereotypes than it did. That said, I thought the world building was strong and rich with description. This is a fun adventure story, great for middle grade readers who enjoy fantasy and fairy tales.
If you enjoyed this book and want to read more modern takes on fairy tales (especially if you wished for a little more exploration and challenging of the tropes), I would definitely recommend Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted.
Dawn Lairamore’s Ivy’s Ever After plays on elements of traditional fairy stories, utilizing princesses locked in towers, dragons, fairy godmothers, magical predictions, and enchanted items. Because it centered around the trope of princesses locked in towers, I expected the story to explore the sexism of many traditional fairy tale tropes. I hoped this piece might be a bit more subversive and challenge common tropes and stereotypes than it did. That said, I thought the world building was strong and rich with description. This is a fun adventure story, great for middle grade readers who enjoy fantasy and fairy tales.
If you enjoyed this book and want to read more modern takes on fairy tales (especially if you wished for a little more exploration and challenging of the tropes), I would definitely recommend Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted.
February 21, 2017
A very cute mix of Brave, Tangled, Shrek, Dragon Slippers, and the Paper Bag Princess. The book had very few new concepts (though the pixie goat was an absolutely adorable surprise). It was a very well done book, however. I was completely drawn in by page two with the line, "Arrows are excellent for peeling parsnips, provided one remembers to use the pointy end." XD
October 7, 2019
Ivy has to marry at one point. When that point comes, her father sends her to live in a tower, guarded by a dragon, which only her true love would be able to save her from. However, Ivy becomes good friends with the dragon, and together they escape the tower. No princes, no marriage, no kings, queens, or princesses, just her and her new best friend.
December 9, 2016
A great book! I really like reading books where there's a dragon that's not out to kill people!
Thus,
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thus,
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 25, 2019
A proper fantasy containing a princess, a tower, trolls, magic mirrors, dragons and an evil prince. A fun read.
February 25, 2020
I love the characters and story. Anyone who loves fantasy should enjoy this.
May 11, 2024
I love this book SO MUCH. It's been my favorite book for longer than I can remember and I've read it too many times to count!
November 15, 2012
This is definitely on the younger end but when we were at ALA this one jumped out as definitely me, must buy. I also got the sequel then so look forward to that coming soon.
Ivy has never been a very proper princess and when she finds out what is going to happen on her 14th birthday she really gets rebellious. For generations the princesses of this family have been locked in a white tower with a dragon to guard them and the man who slays the dragon is the man they will marry. This has kept peace with the dragons, but there is a prince who is very prepared to kill a dragon for a kingdom, and everyone else as well.
I am an absolute sucker for princesses that don’t necessarily act like princesses. Ironically if you asked if I liked princesses when I was a kid I was like no sir, but if you asked about the right princesses… I wasn’t big on pink gowns and balls, but I was big on defying expectations. One of the neatest things about Ivy’s story is not only does she learn to accept her own differences she realizes that others appreciate them as well and she begins to see that not everyone fits into the expectations she had for them either. She is resourceful and the entire story is funny, not make you laugh out loud but make you smile and chuckle.
There is of course the nurse maid constantly telling her how to be proper. The king is interesting because he is a bit soft… for example his horse has become his primary advisor and is not enchanted to talk. Though there is a mushroom loving, mortal world hating goat with an attitude. The dragon is a bit small and more than a bit nervous. There is a fairy god mother who is quite the flirt but also good-hearted. There is a woman in the woods who reads tea leaves. Oh and you can’t forget her two best friends in the castle one who is adventurous and the other who is timid. You would not have this story without the greedy prince, who comes in a ship of bone and wants this kingdom and much more but doesn’t care about the people in it.
I’m trying to do more than simply squeal, “I loved it!” but really that is the gist. Characters with a good archetype base that pleasantly surprise you. Good clear world building for something so young. Lots of positive messages about destiny and the future and self-worth slipped in there. The cover is practically perfect. Someday I want to make a book list of not so proper princesses arranged by age and this definitely goes on it!
Ivy has never been a very proper princess and when she finds out what is going to happen on her 14th birthday she really gets rebellious. For generations the princesses of this family have been locked in a white tower with a dragon to guard them and the man who slays the dragon is the man they will marry. This has kept peace with the dragons, but there is a prince who is very prepared to kill a dragon for a kingdom, and everyone else as well.
I am an absolute sucker for princesses that don’t necessarily act like princesses. Ironically if you asked if I liked princesses when I was a kid I was like no sir, but if you asked about the right princesses… I wasn’t big on pink gowns and balls, but I was big on defying expectations. One of the neatest things about Ivy’s story is not only does she learn to accept her own differences she realizes that others appreciate them as well and she begins to see that not everyone fits into the expectations she had for them either. She is resourceful and the entire story is funny, not make you laugh out loud but make you smile and chuckle.
There is of course the nurse maid constantly telling her how to be proper. The king is interesting because he is a bit soft… for example his horse has become his primary advisor and is not enchanted to talk. Though there is a mushroom loving, mortal world hating goat with an attitude. The dragon is a bit small and more than a bit nervous. There is a fairy god mother who is quite the flirt but also good-hearted. There is a woman in the woods who reads tea leaves. Oh and you can’t forget her two best friends in the castle one who is adventurous and the other who is timid. You would not have this story without the greedy prince, who comes in a ship of bone and wants this kingdom and much more but doesn’t care about the people in it.
I’m trying to do more than simply squeal, “I loved it!” but really that is the gist. Characters with a good archetype base that pleasantly surprise you. Good clear world building for something so young. Lots of positive messages about destiny and the future and self-worth slipped in there. The cover is practically perfect. Someday I want to make a book list of not so proper princesses arranged by age and this definitely goes on it!
January 29, 2023
I absolutely loved this book as a kid it’s an amazing read and if could go back and read it for the first time again I would
My dad used to read me this book as a kid I loved the characters and the storyline I think it was my first book that really got me in to reading so yeah I really love this book it’s apart of my childhood I definitely would recommend
My dad used to read me this book as a kid I loved the characters and the storyline I think it was my first book that really got me in to reading so yeah I really love this book it’s apart of my childhood I definitely would recommend
January 3, 2012
Take an unconventional princess, a shy and timid dragon, an evil prince as would-be rescuer, and a kingdom that sorely needs a dash of hope. Mix in an absent-minded, wayward fairy godmother, a few trolls, and a cute stable boy. Bring all the ingredients together in a tale called Ivy’s Ever After by Dawn Lairamore as a winning recipe for a novel that girls aged 8 to 12 will love.
Ivy’s mother died soon after Ivy was born, and her father has been a wisp of his former self since. No one knows where Ivy’s fairy godmother disappeared to after the tragedy, and Ivy herself has been raised as a free spirit, with few constraints and lacking training as a proper princess.
All that is set to change as Ivy’s 14th birthday approaches. According to the terms of an ancient pact between humans and dragons, Ivy must go inside a tower guarded by a dragon until a worthy prince rescues her by slaying the dragon. Handsome but arrogant Prince Romil arrives early with the hope of being the one to win Ivy’s hand in marriage and become ruler of her small kingdom.
Ivy feels she must comply until she discovers Romil’s evil plot. Defying all conventions, she strikes up an alliance with her guard dragon, Eldridge, and the two set about rescuing her kingdom.
Ivy’s Ever After provides lots of fairy tale fun that will delight both girls and their moms while still giving them something to talk about. Issues to discuss include finding your strengths even when they go against the expectations of others, looking for innovative solutions to change something that doesn’t seem right, judging people on their actions instead of their appearance, and more.
Ivy’s mother died soon after Ivy was born, and her father has been a wisp of his former self since. No one knows where Ivy’s fairy godmother disappeared to after the tragedy, and Ivy herself has been raised as a free spirit, with few constraints and lacking training as a proper princess.
All that is set to change as Ivy’s 14th birthday approaches. According to the terms of an ancient pact between humans and dragons, Ivy must go inside a tower guarded by a dragon until a worthy prince rescues her by slaying the dragon. Handsome but arrogant Prince Romil arrives early with the hope of being the one to win Ivy’s hand in marriage and become ruler of her small kingdom.
Ivy feels she must comply until she discovers Romil’s evil plot. Defying all conventions, she strikes up an alliance with her guard dragon, Eldridge, and the two set about rescuing her kingdom.
Ivy’s Ever After provides lots of fairy tale fun that will delight both girls and their moms while still giving them something to talk about. Issues to discuss include finding your strengths even when they go against the expectations of others, looking for innovative solutions to change something that doesn’t seem right, judging people on their actions instead of their appearance, and more.
June 27, 2010
At a young age, Princess Ivy learns that when she turns fourteen she will be locked away in a tower, guarded by a dragon, and rescued by a prince. This process was created when all the past royal families just bore girls. The treaty, known as the Dragon Treaty, was created to entice princes to rescue and wed the kingdom’s princesses and rule over the land. When Ivy approaches the date for her “imprisonment,” she meets Prince Romil. Ivy over hears Romil’s plans to take over Ivy’s kingdom and the neighboring countries. The king doesn’t believe Romil’s plans and makes Ivy go to the tower. Ivy decides to escape from the tower and his helped by the dragon, Elridge. They go in search of Ivy’s fairy godmother, Drusilla, to gain help in overthrowing Romil and his men. Ivy and Elridge find Drusilla and take her to meet the Dragon Queen. They plan with the Queen to attack Ivy’s castle and drive Romil and his men from the kingdom. Elridge helps Ivy secretly enter the castle, but she is captured by Romil. Romil duels against Elridge but Romil loses. The castle staff drive Romil’s men out to the awaiting dragons. Romil and his men are banished from the kingdom and Ivy is free to marry whomever she wants.
Lairamore’s story is an interesting twist of seeing “Prince Charming” as the villain and the evil dragon as a best friend. Lairamore’s writing is witty and introspective. This debut novel for Lairamore is a great start to a fruitful future career. I look forward to reading more work from Lairamore.
(Found on the Children’s Book and Play Review)
Lairamore’s story is an interesting twist of seeing “Prince Charming” as the villain and the evil dragon as a best friend. Lairamore’s writing is witty and introspective. This debut novel for Lairamore is a great start to a fruitful future career. I look forward to reading more work from Lairamore.
(Found on the Children’s Book and Play Review)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2020
Ivy's Ever After is one of the best books I have ever read! It has my two favorite things about books, one, fantasy and two, adventure!!!
October 19, 2011
I loved this book. Not because it was the best or most imaginative book I've ever read in my life, or because the ending was so unpredictable. But because it wasn't any of those things and yet it still made me smile and relive the innocence of childhood. It made me feel the way I felt when I was first discovering books. In fact, each time I turned the page I was shocked at the lack of illustration because this reminded me greatly of a number of picture books I read when I was little, only more fleshed out. Immediately when I picked up the book I empathized with Princess Ivy, who feels like she is a failure as a princess and Elridge was a great dragon who felt the same way because he couldn't breathe fire. This was such an adorable story with feisty characters, a slightly slutty (although not explicitly, it's just implied) fairy godmother, a cute stableboy, good-hearted fortune-teller, slightly barmy King, wonderfully loyal friends, and two great heroes (Elridge and Ivy). This book was thoroughly enjoyable and I will definitely be reading the next one, if only to have a perpetual smile again for an hour or two. Highly recommended.
January 11, 2016
Princess Ivy’s somewhat absentminded father has never bothered to properly educate her, so when she discovers she’s to be locked up in a tower on her 14th birthday to uphold an ancient treaty made with the dragons, she’s understandably upset. Still, she’s ready to do her duty, until she meets the prince who means to rescue her. Prince Romil is arrogant and rude and intends to use his position as king of Ardendale – once he defeats the dragon guarding Ivy – to make war on his brother and take back the lands he thinks are rightfully his. He has no use for Ardendale or its people (especially Ivy) and intends to do away with the royal family as soon as possible. Ivy is horrified and on the eve of her imprisonment, she escapes and enlists the help of her very unusual dragon guardian, Elridge, to find her fairy godmother and save her kingdom.
Ivy and Elridge are a good team, and this cast of characters will find a place in readers’ hearts. A light fantasy adventure good for middle grade readers and tweens who like Patricia Wrede’s Enchanted Forest Chronicles, and E.D. Baker’s stories.
Ivy and Elridge are a good team, and this cast of characters will find a place in readers’ hearts. A light fantasy adventure good for middle grade readers and tweens who like Patricia Wrede’s Enchanted Forest Chronicles, and E.D. Baker’s stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2012
Reviewed by Kira M for TeensReadToo.com
Only child of the absent-minded king of Ardendale, feisty Ivy has pretty much raised herself. On her 14th birthday, as per the Dragon Treaty, Ivy is locked up in a tower with only an undersized dragon for company until a prince comes and slays her dragon guard, Eldridge.
Eldridge, however, is a peace-loving dragon who loves puzzles and doesn't care to be slain - and Ivy doesn't care to be rescued. Together, the two join forces and escape.
Prince Romil, a nefarious prince bent on getting Ivy's father's throne, has other plans.
Ivy and Eldridge's only hope is to find Drusilla, Ivy's fairy godmother, and get her to help them thwart the Prince's evil plans. Can Ivy save her father and her kingdom?
A fun, adventure-filled fantasy for reluctant readers. The characters are entertaining and well-developed. The plot moves at a good pace and keeps the reader's interest. Those who like fantasy, adventure, and dragons will all enjoy reading IVY'S EVER AFTER.
Only child of the absent-minded king of Ardendale, feisty Ivy has pretty much raised herself. On her 14th birthday, as per the Dragon Treaty, Ivy is locked up in a tower with only an undersized dragon for company until a prince comes and slays her dragon guard, Eldridge.
Eldridge, however, is a peace-loving dragon who loves puzzles and doesn't care to be slain - and Ivy doesn't care to be rescued. Together, the two join forces and escape.
Prince Romil, a nefarious prince bent on getting Ivy's father's throne, has other plans.
Ivy and Eldridge's only hope is to find Drusilla, Ivy's fairy godmother, and get her to help them thwart the Prince's evil plans. Can Ivy save her father and her kingdom?
A fun, adventure-filled fantasy for reluctant readers. The characters are entertaining and well-developed. The plot moves at a good pace and keeps the reader's interest. Those who like fantasy, adventure, and dragons will all enjoy reading IVY'S EVER AFTER.
November 29, 2011
In Ardendale the princess is locked in a tower guarded by a dragon until a prince slays the dragon and frees her. Ivy is an unconventional princess and hates this tradition. When Prince Romil arrives, Ivy immediately dislikes his cold arrogance. Then she overhears him plotting to conquer the neighboring kingdoms, after he marries her. When she tells her father, he doesn’t believe her and locks her in the tower anyway. That’s when she meets Eldridge, the peaceful dragon who was chosen to guard her tower. Eldridge agrees to help her try and find her fairy godmother. But will they find her in time?[return][return]This was a cute little fairy tale story. Ivy is a fun heroine and Eldridge is gentle but not cowardly dragon. They have to overcome all sorts of obstacles but everything wraps up in a nice happy fairytale ending. There was a noticeable lack of romance, but that was a nice change. The story just focuses on Ivy and Eldridge and their friendship.
February 12, 2011
The intro.."Once upon a time in the kingdom of Ardendal there lived a spirited princess named Ivy, who had no interest in being rescued by Prince Charming, and an undersized dragon named Elridge, who was better at solving word puzzles than breathing fire" is a perfect invitation to those of all ages who enjoy great story-telling. Dawn Lairamore is simply a great storyteller!! So talenting in painting a portrait of a wonderfully vibrant and original world, Ivy's Ever After is pure delight! The reader is entranced by Ivy, and completely won over by Elridge- a dragon unlike any other- who is so beguiling and unique..this reader marvelled at the talents of the author to create such an unforgetable character!
A JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB MUST READ
RICK FRIEDMAN
FOUNDER
THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITYBOOK CLUB
A JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB MUST READ
RICK FRIEDMAN
FOUNDER
THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITYBOOK CLUB
July 13, 2010
Instead of merely going ga-ga over a handsome Prince, Ivy is a beautifully written pro-active heroine who keeps a steady head and eventually saves her kingdom. Lairamore gives the reader a rich and vibrant cast of characters, and a well-crafted plot that keeps you turning pages and wanting to know more. She uses the idea of prophecies in compelling and non-cliche ways, and never lets the magic in the world 'save' the day-- Ivy does not get out of any of her scrapes easily, but has to use cunning and courage.
Readers of fantasy and fairytales will enjoy this twist on the old tales of the Princess in the tower and the handsome prince coming to rescue her from the dangerous, evil dragon. It's wonderfully refreshing to see a Princess taking charge of her destiny!
Readers of fantasy and fairytales will enjoy this twist on the old tales of the Princess in the tower and the handsome prince coming to rescue her from the dangerous, evil dragon. It's wonderfully refreshing to see a Princess taking charge of her destiny!
August 1, 2011
The blurb on the back flap quotes the author saying, "I've always loved fairy tales, but you can only take so many sweet proper princesses and ferocious, fire-breathing dragons. I thought it would be fun to write a fairy tale where the princess and the dragon team up against the handsome prince." Apparently she didn't realize that this has been done before (The Runaway Princess by Kate Coombs).
Luckily, I love this kind of story. There are some weak plot points, and the assumption everybody makes that the dragons would be upset if Ivy broke the dragon treaty the way she wants to is just silly. But, overall, lots of fun.
Luckily, I love this kind of story. There are some weak plot points, and the assumption everybody makes that the dragons would be upset if Ivy broke the dragon treaty the way she wants to is just silly. But, overall, lots of fun.
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